1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hoist that can used to raise and/or hang game animals. The hoist is mountable to an all terrain vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When hunters harvest game, in order to prevent the meat from spoiling, they immediately field dress, i.e. gut, the game. Then hunters hang the game to allow the animal's body cavity to drain and the carcass to cool. Normally, a gambrel and some rope is used to hang the carcass from a convenient tree. However, when hunting big game in brush, scrub land, or swampy areas, a convenient tree that can support the weight of the big game animal may not be available.
For the above reasons, hoists that attach to the hunter's vehicle have been proposed in the prior art. However, the prior art hoists are adapted for use with dual purpose vehicles that must be capable of travelling on paved roads as well as travelling off road. Such vehicles have limited mobility and must be left a considerable distance from the actual site where the game is harvested. For this reason, the field dressed game must be dragged for a considerable distance through rough terrain, which is obviously quite a physical burden on the hunter. Also dragging the animal can lead to contamination of the meat and damage to the hide. Also the time required for dragging the animal delays the cooling of the carcass, which can lead to spoilage. Therefore, it would be desirable for hunters to have a game hoist which is available at the actual hunting site. The hoist of the present invention has been designed to be easily transportable by and mountable to an all terrain vehicle (ATV). ATVs are highly mobile vehicles that can transport the hunter to the very site where game is harvested. In recent years, ATVs have come into wide spread use by hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts. Therefore, the hoist of the present invention, in combination with the widely available ATV, can bring about the realization of a game hoist that is readily available at the site where game is harvested. In addition to hanging game, the game hoist of the present invention can also aid the hunter in lifting the heavy big game animal onto the cargo rack of the ATV.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,315,873, issued to Philip Richards on Apr. 6, 1943, shows a folding hoist mounted on a wheeled cart. Richards does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,496,401, issued to Walter McKinney on Feb. 7, 1950, shows a truck mounted swivelling crane. McKinney does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,263, issued to Roger Castonguay on Apr. 16, 1974, shows a portable hoist mounted in the open trunk of an automobile. Castonguay does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,893, issued to Joseph J. Kolesar on Apr. 27, 1976, shows a light weight hoist mounted to the bumper of an automobile. Kolesar does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,038, issued to Billy D. Pendergraft on Dec. 6, 1983, shows a folding hoist mounted below the tailgate of a pickup truck. Pendergraft does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,063, issued to W. Clifton York on Feb. 21, 1989, shows a portable wild game hoist that can be mounted to the bumper and fender of a four wheel drive passenger vehicle. York does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,865, issued to Jerome R. Strickland on Dec. 25, 1990, shows a hoist mounted to the bed of a pickup truck. Strickland does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,284, issued to Mark D. Frisk on Mar. 7, 1995, shows a hoist for big game designed to be hooked to a tree. Frisk does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,672, issued to Jimmy Poe on May 30, 1995, shows a hoist mounted to the tailgate of a pickup truck. Poe does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,487, issued to Stanley Koscinski, Jr. on Aug. 29, 1995, shows a hoist with a telescoping boom that can be mounted to a variety of support structures. Koscinski, Jr. does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
United Kingdom Patent Document Number 657,326, by Sars Erik Peterson dated Sep. 19, 1951, shows a hoist mounted to a truck bed. U.K. Patent Document '326 does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
Swiss Patent Document Number 384,386, by Renee Salamin dated Feb. 15, 1965, shows a hoist mounted to the roof cargo rack of an automobile. Swiss document '386 does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
Canadian Patent Number 1,156,614, Granted to Robert N. Armstrong on Nov. 8, 1983, shows a folding hoist mounted below the tailgate of a pickup truck. Canadian Patent '614 does not show a base for attachment to an ATV, having two shaft sections that are fixed relative to a support plate with the two shaft sections being perpendicular to one another.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.